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Page 164
Ian considerable thought. If Alinor had bothered to look, she would have seen that the area had been scratched out, smoothed over, and rewritten. Ian had tried "your lord and husband" first. That was what he had scratched out when he realized that it might well be taken as indicating that he was assuming authority over her. Of course, Ian fully intended to assume authority over Alinor, but in view of her passionate statement of independence, he had no desire to be crude or obvious about it. The next idea was "your loving husband." He had thought that over for some time, trying to convince himself that Alinor would accept it as a formal ending without taking fright. It was too dangerous, he decided finally. The simplest was just to write "Ian," there being little likelihood that Alinor could be mistaken as to who was writing to her on such a subject. By that time, however, Ian had so sensitized himself to reading obscure meanings into his signature that he decided the single name might suggest he was contemptuous. Thus, Ian, Lord de Vipont had come upon the page.
The sentences which Alinor had thought to imply conceit had cost poor Ian more pain than the signature. Once the contract was signed, his impulse had been to clean out the reavers and rush back to Roselynde to admire the prize he had won. When he considered the violence of their last interview, however, and his growing inability to maintain a decent reserve to conceal his passion, he was forced to admit that such extended and intimate proximity would be most unwise. If they were apart, they could not quarrel. Once the wedding guests began to arrive, it would be safe to return. Not only was Alinor far too well bred to make public scenes, but there would be little opportunity for privacy or conflict.

In the windowless, dark, dank, immensity of the floor below the great hall, Alinor was coming to the conclusion that there would not be room enough to stand up-

 
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